TA Spring RTS - Because free games can be fucking amazing.

[Linelor]

[img]http://springrts.com/images/logo.png[/img]

The Spring Project is a engine based on the Total Annihilation series. More people might be familiar with the newer version of the series, Supreme Commander. Keep in mind, many of the mods are similar to these games, but they are not one in the same.

From their website: [url]http://springrts.com/[/url]
[quote]
Spring is a project aiming to create a new and versatile RTS Engine. It features:

* Open source (GPLv2).
* Multi-plattform (Windows & Linux, MacOSX in progress).
* Written in C++, using OpenGL, OpenAL, DevIL, SDL, boost, 7zip, Lua, streflop.
* Very extensive Lua interface, allowing gameplay changes and custom (G-)UIs.
* Large battles limited only by the power of your computer; support for up to 30000 units and up to 250 players.
* Fully 3D combat in land, sea, and air, with realistic weapon trajectories (physics engine).
* Full featured lobby clients to easily play multiplayer games with hundreds of players just waiting for you at any time. Including automatic game and map downloading, chat, friends list etc.
* Complex 3rd party AIs (Bots) that can work very competently in many cases with multiple Spring engine games and mods.
* Several camera modes, allowing for anything to be viewed from almost any angle.
* A powerful UI designed to minimize unnecessary micromanagement that is easily extensible via a Lua API.
* A lot of third party widgets to improve the GUI, the gameplay and the visual.
* Many different Games, made just for Spring.
* Hundreds of large and highly detailed maps in which to wage those battles, fully 3D with deformable terrain, forest fires, dynamic and reflective bump mapped water, and custom skyboxes.
[/quote]

The game is large scale, has tons of mods for it from classic Total Annihilation based mods to Star Wars and WWII.

It's free, extremely fun, and a quick download so I recommend it to everyone.

I created a guide for my clan and I'll share it for any of you who wish to try the game.

[B]This guide will instruct you how to install the Spring Engine and its modules and maps.[/B]

[u]Step 1[/u]

Click [url=http://springinfo.info/moddownloads/SpringEngine-Installer.exe]http://springinfo.info/moddownloads/SpringEngine-Installer.exe[/url] and download the installer. Then simply run it and install like anything else.

If you are on Vista or Windows 7 it might be a good idea to run the installer as an admin.

[u]Step 2[/u]

Once the engine has finished installing a cmd prompt should appear. Let it work and then the Module updater should pop up. If the updater does not appear then go to your start menu and find the spring tab in your programs. Inside there should be a item called Spring Module Updater.

Keep in mind, this game WILL NOT WORK unless you download a module. It is only an engine, not a full game.

[u]Step 3[/u]

The module updater will allow the download of the most popular mods, and the 3 that could be considered must-have would be: Balanced Annihilation, Complete Annihilation, and Not Original Total Annihilation or NOTA for short. They're all played so if something grabs your attention, feel free to download it.

Simply click download on the updater to install the module you want. Again a command prompt will appear and download the module. Once you have all of the modules you want downloaded, just close it.

[u]Step 4[/u]

The final thing you need to do is open the multiplayer lobby and make an account. You DO NOT need to update the lobby unless you're planning to host.

If you want to update it, download [url=http://filebin.springlobby.info/springlobby-0.41-rc-win32.zip]http://filebin.springlobby.info/springlobby-0.41-rc-win32.zip[/url] and just dump the contents into your Spring folder in program files. It will still say it is the wrong version, but that is because the above is a beta that works fine and fixes the relay slaves.

Once you're in the lobby you can go to the battlelist and find a game to join.

[u]Step 5[/u]

The auto-download on the lobby is broken so if you want to get the maps people are playing you will need to go to [url=http://www.springfiles.com/subcategory.php?id=1]http://www.springfiles.com/subcategory.php?id=1[/url] and you can find pretty much anything there. Simply go to the SEARCH TAB, not the box at the top. I REPEAT, the quick search will not work, so click the search tab.

Any maps, mods, etc can be found there if you can't get them through the updater.

[u]Step 6[/u]

Commence Annihilation!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpKqQxTURik&fmt=18[/media]

The 386th clan has started playing this quite a lot so if you want some people to learn the game with or just play with in general, feel free to check out our website at [url]http://the386th.com[/url] and connect to our ventrilo which a guide for can be found here: [url]http://the386th.com/index.php?topic=26.0[/url]

[Uberman77883]

Spring 1944 is very nice.

[Zezibesh]

Always wanted to try TA.

I think I'll do it now. This engine is pretty amazing considering it's free.

[editline]02:30PM[/editline]

What should I try? 1944?

[Frozen]

This is free, and it's pretty fucking amazing. It's almost as good as Supreme Commander, tons of mods, great graphics, and a populated community.

Basically every budget gamer's wet dream.

[Zezibesh]

Why is there no 1920x1080 option in the configuration? :(

[editline]02:57PM[/editline]

oh you can set the resolution manually in expert mode nvm

[Hezzy]

My client keeps crashing after about 25 minutes :(

[nathazv2]

i decided to try this again after seeing you mention it in that favourite engines thread a few days ago, tried the complete & balanced annihilation versions, they're pretty cartoony which kind of ruins it for me. are there any realistic looking total annihilation mods? (or any good looking ones in general)

[Linelor]

[QUOTE=nathazv2;18852840]i decided to try this again after seeing you mention it in that favourite engines thread a few days ago, tried the complete & balanced annihilation versions, they're pretty cartoony which kind of ruins it for me. are there any realistic looking total annihilation mods? (or any good looking ones in general)[/QUOTE]

The engine isn't that graphically impressive so don't expect anything to be like company of heroes. BA and CA aren't cartoonish they are just more of a classic basic color scheme.

Plus, you wouldn't want there to be really good textures when there's 2000 units dukeing it out.

[QUOTE=Zezibesh;18852295]Always wanted to try TA.

I think I'll do it now. This engine is pretty amazing considering it's free.

[editline]02:30PM[/editline]

What should I try? 1944?[/QUOTE]

Try Balanced Annihilation or NOTA.

1944 is kind of unfinished and lacking in many regards, but pretty good nonetheless.

[nathazv2]

[QUOTE=Linelor;18852884]The engine isn't that graphically impressive so don't expect anything to be like company of heroes. BA and CA aren't cartoonish they are just more of a classic basic color scheme.

Plus, you wouldn't want there to be really good textures when there's 2000 units dukeing it out.[/QUOTE]

the colours/textures aren't something i'm too fussed about, it's more of the dimensions of the units. from what i played everything seemed oversized and had that "chubby" look about it. i'll just browse through some and see what there is.

[Linelor]

[QUOTE=nathazv2;18852938]the colours/textures aren't something i'm too fussed about, it's more of the dimensions of the units. from what i played everything seemed oversized and had that "chubby" look about it. i'll just browse through some and see what there is.[/QUOTE]

Try NOTA.

[Ginteru]

I should try it sometime.

[Minorkos]

Might check it out. TF2 right now though.

[Specter]

Once I get enough free time (Work is making me do super overtime this week) I'll install this again. After playing SupCom I never tried it again.

[amgoz1]

Last time I downloaded this it lagged like hell, but that video made me want to try it again.

[Linelor]

[QUOTE=Specter;18854237]Once I get enough free time (Work is making me do super overtime this week) I'll install this again. After playing SupCom I never tried it again.[/QUOTE]

I find it much better than Supreme Commander for some reason, though SupCom has really nice graphics.

[Starpluck]

This game looks great, especially for a free game.

Really appreciate the share.

[The_Marine]

Are there any other mostly complete mods that aren't just variations of the original TA?

[Linelor]

Eternal Struggle, 1944, Evolution, Kernal Panic, etc.

[swebonny]

I loved this game. I used to build an army of those most basic bots and just spam them when time was right.

[Linelor]

[QUOTE=Swebonny;18855326]I loved this game. I used to build an army of those most basic bots and just spam them when time was right.[/QUOTE]

Some people tried to do that last night.

Defensive nukes ftw.

[HALP Cat]

I found the 386th guys talking about this, downloading.

[thisguy123]

This was a good game back when i used to play it.

The auto download being broken is a pain though but if and when that's fixed this game will be near perfect.

[Crazy_Farmer]

there wasn't much point to this when supcom released, except that it has more mods

though I prefer the gameplay of supcom much more

[editline]10:52AM[/editline]

what the hell im a gold member

[Specter]

[QUOTE=Linelor;18854963]I find it much better than Supreme Commander for some reason, though SupCom has really nice graphics.[/QUOTE]

The only thing I like TA over SupCom are the Big Berthas. :buddy:

[Linelor]

[QUOTE=Specter;18859059]The only thing I like TA over SupCom are the Big Berthas. :buddy:[/QUOTE]

Was playing a game earlier, was insanely close fighting over the middle, then one of my teammates randomly managed to get enough materials to builds 2 tac-plasma cannons and it fucked the enemy team over completely.

[swebonny]

Linelor, you should add a few pictures.
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/TASpring-Screenshot2.jpg[/img]
Also for you who haven't tested this out, the game got terrain deformation and dynamic water surfaces!

[RayvenQ]

[QUOTE=Linelor;18857861]Some people tried to do that last night.

Defensive nukes ftw.[/QUOTE]

Didn't work for you though did it buddy, If I recall you were the first one to be wasted. :lol:

[Specter]

[QUOTE=Linelor;18859163]Was playing a game earlier, was insanely close fighting over the middle, then one of my teammates randomly managed to get enough materials to builds 2 tac-plasma cannons and it fucked the enemy team over completely.[/QUOTE]

Nostalgia attack!

[Linelor]

[QUOTE=RayvenQ;18859736]Didn't work for you though did it buddy, If I recall you were the first one to be wasted. :lol:[/QUOTE]

As said before, that was because I was too lenient for yall and didn't expect a rush. Plus I was having to try and teach Hyena so I wasn't paying a lot of attention.

And anyway, I managed to survive that actually and got nuked at one point.

[editline]12:29PM[/editline]

Tell ya what. In 1 Hour 30 minutes from now which will be 2 PM CST we will do a game on the 386th vent. If anyone wants to participate, just get on.

silver.typefrag.com
65407
password is essayons

[thisguy123]

I'll join!

Oh and single player is taggered this end. as soon as the game starts it's says i've won.